1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to a method of manufacturing a tungsten-based electromagnetic shielding part and more particularly to a method of manufacturing a tungsten-based electromagnetic shielding part via additive fabrication, which may selectively include one or more additional shielding materials mixed with tungsten.
2. Background Art
Various types of electromagnetic radiation shielding have been developed for use in imaging applications and similar applications, such as x-ray fluorescence (XRF) devices, that also require electromagnetic radiation shielding. Traditionally such forms of shielding include the usage of lead. Lead is an effective shielding material due to its high density, i.e., relatively high atomic mass and small atomic radius, which absorbs and scatters various forms of electromagnetic radiation including x-rays. With recent improvements in the field of digital radiography, the digital sensors used to replace traditional photographic film are capable of producing x-ray images from a lower level of radiation emission. However, lead lacks structural strength and rigidity such that its shape may warp or shift over time, and may result in shielding failure.
Recent improvements have been made to reinforce traditional sheets of lead shielding with additional substrates to provide structural strength. For example lead shielding may be adhesively bonded to an aluminum substrate in order to provide the structural or mechanical rigidity required for use in medical imaging devices. However, traditional shielding in which lead and an aluminum substrate are adhesively bound together has been known to exhibit shortcomings such as delaminating or undesirable moving or creeping over a prolonged period of time. Additionally, the lamination manufacturing process imposes limitations on the possible size and shape of the shielding that can be made according to traditional methods. Accordingly, there is currently a need for an improved electromagnetic shielding that provides improved functionality and its method of manufacturing
The present invention seeks to improve upon the prior art by providing a method of manufacturing a tungsten based electromagnetic shielding element by means of additive fabrication, or specifically three dimensional printing, and a electromagnetic shielding element produced according to that method of manufacturing.